Game board



C. V. VLAUN Jan. 30, 1940.

GAME BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1939 A tiomeys Jan. 30, 1940.

C. V. VLAUN GAME BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1939 nventor amd Attorneys Jan. 30, 1940.

C. V. VLAUN GAME BOARD Filed Feb. ,10, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nvenor %7%302 4/ Attorneys and Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED T PATENT OFF lCE'j Application February 10, 1939, Serial No. 2551745 1 Claim. (c. :ara-39) 'My invention relates to improvements in game 'boards' and the principal object is to provide a game board for bowling with marbles, or other small balls, and equipping the board so that skill and judgment may enter into the playing of the game and all the usual points made in bowlingsuch as spares" and strikes may be made with the marbles instead of pins.

Another object is to provide a board comprising a portable bowling alley for bowling with power-propelled marbles and which may be quickly attached to and detached from an ordinary table without marring the same.

Other, and subordinate objects, are also comprehended by my invention, all of which together With the exact nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of my improved game board detached and showing the manner in which the marbles are set up.

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section taken onthe line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fgure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 5 is a View in side elevatio-n illustrating the game board attached to a table, and

Figure 6 is a View in perspective of the clip.

Referring by numerals to the drawings wherein there has been illustrated a preferred embodiment of my game board, I designating the bottom of the board which has the form of an elongated, .straight-sided panel, preferably of wood, provided with a semi-circular front end 2 and a rear end 3 having a substantially rectangular elongated cut-out extending lengthwise of said end for a purpose presently seen. An upstanding strip-like outer guide rail 5 extends along the sides and around the front end of said bottom I following the contour thereof and suitably secured thereto. A pair of inner strip-like guide rails 6 are secured to said bottom I in upstanding position to extend from the rear end 2 alongside the outer rails 5 parallel therewith and in laterally spaced relation thereto, said inner rails 6 together with the bottom i, and the sides of the outer rails 5 fo'ming a pair of runways l at opposite sides of said bottom,

respectively, having front ends opening onto the semi-circular front end 2 of said bottom. I

Between the rear ends of said runways 'I is a na'row pit 8 of rectangular form extending lengthwise across the rear end 3 of the bottom I. The `bottom of the pit 8 is formed by an elongated, rectangular ,panel 9 extending lengthwise across the said end 2 ,and underlyng the edges of the cut out 4, the ends by the inner rails 6, and the back of the pit by a ,rear gu'ard-rail ID extending across-said end 2 and closing the rear ends of the runways l, said rail !0 having an upwardly arched upper edge H for preventing the marbles from bounding rearwardly off the board. All of the .parts described in the foregoing are preferably formed of Wood.

A partition block !2 divides each runway l transversely adjacent the rear end thereof and forms a rearend chamber [3 therein; A pair of red-like ejector plungers [4 are slidab-ly and rotatably mounted in said rear guard ,rail o and said partition blocks -z to extend through 'said chambers |3 and at the front endsthereof into the said runways l' respectively. The front ends of the plungers M are provided withenlarged heads |5 for impacting marbles introduced into said runways 1. The rear ends of said plungers HI are equi'pped with finger-grip knobs !6 for pulling the plungers rearwardly. A pair' of coil springs !T are sleeved onto said plungers !4, respectively, between the rear guard rail lo and collars 18 on said plungers !4 to tension the lat'- ter against rearward movement and serve to project the plungers forwardly as will be clear. The lnobs IS, as will be understood, are engaged with the rear guard rail II] to limit forward movement of the plungers |4.

\ In the longitudinal center of the board, a small. u

triangular cushion bumper !9 is secured to the inner face of the outer guide rail 5, apexpointing inwardly. A pair of short deector rails 25) are secured at one end to the front'terminals of the guide rails 6 to extend rearwardly' in converging relation.

Adjacent to the pit 8, the bottom l has formed therein a plurality of shallow cup-like sockets Zi corresponding in number to the usual number of pins used in bowling and arranged in similar triangular formation to such set up pins with the leading socket in the longitudinal center of said bottom I, said sockets being designed to seat large marbles 22 therein. V

Preferably the described board is equipped for attachment to the top of a table' 23 to incline upwardly and :forwardly from one edge thereof so that the marbles used will gravitate down the same rearwardly. For this purpose the bottom l is provided with a short front leg 24 designed to rest on said table top and an L-shaped bracket 25 is sutably Secured to the under-side of said bottom adjacent to the rear end 3 to hook under said edge of the table 23. i

The front end 2 of the board l is anchored to the opposite edge of said table top by means of a U-type clip 26 adapted to straddle said opposite edge and a coil spring 27 having its opposite ends Secured to a pair of hooks 28 threaded into the front of the outer guide rail 5 and into said clip 25 respectively. Both bracket 25 and the clip 26 may be suitably lined, as at 29, to prevent said b racket and strip from marring the edges of the tab-le 23. V

The described rear end chambers l3 may be closed at the top thereof by cover panels 3!! suitv ably Secured to the rails 5 and 6 as at 3I.

The board described in the foregoing is designed for playing a game similar to bowling and by Shooting marbles 32 out of the runways 'i under operation of the plungers M in a manner which will 'be understood Without explanation. The marbles' 32 are shot out of the runways l to preferably follow the curve of the front of the outer guide rails 5, carom ofi one or the other side of the bumper 19, depending upon which sidethe` marble is short from, and be banked against oneor the other of the defiector rails 20, as the case may be, to glance therefrom to the set up of marbles 32 and unseat the same from the sockets 2! for gravitation into the pit 8. The plays,` as beforementioned, are the same as in bowling ten pins and the score counted as in that game. Two players may particip'ate in the game and may shoot from either runway at Will. `By imparting a rotary mpetus to the plungers Mas they are released, the Whirling efiect on the marbles 32 shot and commonly known as Eng1ish" in the game of pool, may

be imparted to the marbles so that they may be caused to glance off the deflector rails 22 and also guide rails E at difierent angles to direct the same into contactwith the marbles 32 at different angles relative thereto.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, my invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the 'inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

'-What I claim is, I A game board for bowling With marbles and attachment to a table top comprising a flat elongated bottom having straight side edges, a semicircular front end and a cut out rear end, an l upstarding 'guide rail extending along the sides and around the front end of said bottom, a pair of short rails upstanding from said bottom alongside said guide rails and extending from the rear end of the bottom part Way alongthe latter in laterally spaced relation to'the guide rail to form therewith a pair of runways ,at opposte sides of said bottom, respectively, for containing shooting marbles, a pair of spring actuated ejectors in said rinways, respectively, for ejecting said Shooting marbles `forwardly out of the same, a s'o field of shallow sockets in the rear end of said bottom in front ofsaid cut out for seating' mar.-`

bles therein to be unseated by said Shooting mar'- bles, and projected thereby into said cut out, said guide rail having attached to the inrr face thereof in the longitudinal `center of the latter a t'iangular shaped cushion member against which the Shooting marbles may be shot to carom o the same, and said shortrails having Secured to the front ends thereof a pair of rearwardly convergent bafile rails for defiecting the Shooting marbles caroming oli said cushion CHARLES VICTOR- VLAUl I. v 

